I have mentioned it to my students so far today, and will for the rest of the day as well. I'll also spend a class period talking about nothing but the attack on Pearl Harbor when I get to WWII next semester. The other history teachers I know do the same. The problem isn't that things aren't being taught, it's that they aren't being learned. No matter how hard I try I can't make a student learn something, that's their job.

WWII does seem like its fading from peoples memory but as that greatest generation slowly passes on I guess it easily does too. It's up to us to keep their stories alive I've wrote down alot of what my grandpa on my fathers side has told me about his time in the Marines and how he thought he wasn't going to make it off of Okinawa. Also stories from my grandpa on my mothers side of being part of the Hitler youth then fighting with the SS on the eastern front. Next it's going to be korea and nam that's starts fading away my uncle flew a F4 my other uncle flew C130 and my dad did 3 tours with the 1st air Calvary my uncles are both gone and my dad won't talk about it, except how badly he was treated by people who wasn't there when he got back.

Late last night, I saw plenty of online articles about the anniversary of the attack. There was even on ABC about how the wreck of the USS Ward has been located, and about how she fired the first US shot of the attack. But this morning, at least locally, the news is full of all the hot topic issues: the fires, politics, scandals, etc... the Pearl Harbor stuff is there, buried between and behind the other news clutter. And with the living survivors rapidly dwindling in numbers, the tangible connection is also dwindling. The last of my family members who were there died several years ago.

Mom & Dad were in their 1941 Studebaker Champion on Pearl Harbor Day driving from Hanford, California to their Long Beach apartment over old U.S. 99 on the then three-lane 1934 road through the Tehachapis (Mom had gone over the original 1915 Ridge Route in the 1920s with her folks), didn't have a radio but when they'd entered the San Fernando Valley noticed next to no road traffic, didn't know what gave till they'd returned to the apartment. Dad soon after wanted to enlist, was deferred over year and a half as was performing "critical war work" at Todd Shipyard, Los Angeles Division in San Pedro as was then known.

I also forgot to mention that the local NPR station here ran a story that the remains of an airman that was killed in WWII when the plane he was in crashed have been identified and arrived here in his hometown today. He will have a military funeral with full honors on Monday to be buried next to his parents.

WWII does seem like its fading from peoples memory but as that greatest generation slowly passes on I guess it easily does too.

I have to agree there, Rambo. My calender at home didn't even have it listed.

It's a good thing that you're keeping a written record of your family's stories. Some very interesting ones at that. My cousin and I are trying to put together a history of our Uncle Bill that we lost flying an OV-10 over Cambodia. My cousin has our uncle's service records and we've both been reading everything we can about FAC's during the war. I wished I could go back and collect all the stories from my family and my wife's family WWII vets, all of whom served in the Pacific Theater. All Army (my mom's father was Army Air Corp)

My uncle was in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific, I was just a child at the time, but sort of understood what was going on. In later years, he refused to talk about his experiences with our family. Apparently, his memories were too painful.

i first went to HI in 1959. I was a little kid but the story made an impression on me then.

i hear people a lot say how they wished they’d asked their relative more.

its a tricky thing. I got a lot out of one relative late in his life, and even then the stories were his way on his time.

They say that for every war a word gets added to the term for what we now recognize as PTSD.

After that war, people were “messed up” or “never quite the same”.

I think it’s a day when you’ve got to pray for the survivors as well as the fallen.

Just my two bits.

Well, the battlefront for the Pacific began at the shoreline. California was closer to Pearl Harbor than any other part of the 48 States. And the I Boats that were off of Oahu headed for the West Coast a few days after the attack. When you talk to folks who lived here along the Coast at that time, they all have their tales. Just like the U-Boats off the East Coast bringing the war home in those days. All my family who lived here then had their stories. Just as my wife’s family who were on Oahu at that time had their angle on that history.

Regarding the changes that happens to those who go off to war, George Carlin has a great routine on that subject. A master of words.

i first went to HI in 1959. I was a little kid but the story made an impression on me then.

i hear people a lot say how they wished they’d asked their relative more.

its a tricky thing. I got a lot out of one relative late in his life, and even then the stories were his way on his time.

They say that for every war a word gets added to the term for what we now recognize as PTSD.

After that war, people were “messed up” or “never quite the same”.

I think it’s a day when you’ve got to pray for the survivors as well as the fallen.

Just my two bits.

Cadet Chuck

My uncle was in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific, I was just a child at the time, but sort of understood what was going on. In later years, he refused to talk about his experiences with our family. Apparently, his memories were too painful.

God rest you, Uncle Stan.

My great-uncle arrived in France on his 20th birthday, also the first day of the Battle of the Bulge. He suffered from PTSD for the rest of his life and refused to talk about the war to anyone. That was until I came back from Iraq in 2003. We had a family gathering at my grandma's house and the two of us sat on the patio together and he let out memories that he kept inside for 60 years. I'm the only person he's talked to about it and he swore me to secrecy about his time in combat. Growing up I knew not to ask about the war, but I always wanted to as WWII is something that has always interested me.

When he did finally talk about it I could relate to some of it based on my experiences, but I hadn't realized at that time that I had PTSD as well. I don't like to talk about it but I force myself to, especially with my therapist. I'm just glad the stigma of seeking help for this has lessened over the years. I wish there was more help available to those guys back then.

I did boots on the ground as well as offshore bombardments during that time . I very rarely talked about either the Navy Stuff or the Corp Stuff after getting home . I was met with fists and boards and feet when I walked out of the bus station in San Fransisco then .

Nice homecoming ! Well , I carried this tremendous chip till I met a guy , All he did was talk about his time over there . I requested a counselor at the V.A. and got one too .

I was diagnosed with Remembrance Paranoia and Anger management issues . Got through it , and was a different person afterwards . At least the horrid dreams are in the past .The Anger is just below the surface , but controlled well .

I think of Pearl quite often . I was born two years later ( 1943 ) on the high seas coming here from Eastern Europe . I made it and Mom didn't . Remember those who went before me ? You Bet your sweet Bippie ! !

I 100% disagree. It will always still be mentioned in history books in our public schools nationwide.

Well BlackSheep, I fear that you are wrong; it will not "always be mentioned in our public schools nationwide". I am a public school sophomore (in the US) and am yet to hear a teacher mention anything about a relevent historic date, even Pearl Harbor. First and foremost, only I and two of my friends know about the Second World War, its significance, its leaders, major battles, and tech advancement in military vehicles. It is sad to say that majority of the other 3,000 students at my school do not know about the subject; because it isn't talked much about and they aren't interested. Earlier this year, the onetime during a discussion about WW2, the teacher asked what comes to mind when we think about WW2 and Hitler. First, half the class didn't know when or what the Second World War is, and the few who did said "they were terrorists (the ***)". Obviously they were bad, but the term fascist more appropriately represents them than simply "terrorists". Pretty much its a fading topic, and at somepoint in time the Second World War would have faded away with the rest of Human history...

This is not to say public school and its students are bad. In fact, public schools are great, there are just certain topics ignored. Alongside, even though the students aren't aware of WW2, they still are very smart in common topics like mathematics, sciences, literature, etc...

I guess newer generations believe STEM studies are the new center of progression, so that is what schools are focused on teaching.

Kien, I've got to ask what grade level is US history taught at in your district? In Michigan, most freshmen take US history as freshmen and WWII is required teaching, and I spend about a month and a half teaching about it. Not attacking you, just curious.

I teach karate, have for some 20 years. Each year on Dec 7 I ask my class, mostly 9-18 year olds what the significance of the day is and get mostly blank stares. Not surprising from the younger ones who just haven't gotten that far in their education, but disturbing from the high schoolers. Fortunately, there's always a couple that know the story and why it's important - they're our hope for the future.

I 100% disagree. It will always still be mentioned in history books in our public schools nationwide.

Well BlackSheep, I fear that you are wrong; it will not "always be mentioned in our public schools nationwide". I am a public school sophomore (in the US) and am yet to hear a teacher mention anything about a relevent historic date, even Pearl Harbor. First and foremost, only I and two of my friends know about the Second World War, its significance, its leaders, major battles, and tech advancement in military vehicles. It is sad to say that majority of the other 3,000 students at my school do not know about the subject; because it isn't talked much about and they aren't interested. Earlier this year, the onetime during a discussion about WW2, the teacher asked what comes to mind when we think about WW2 and Hitler. First, half the class didn't know when or what the Second World War is, and the few who did said "they were terrorists (the ***)". Obviously they were bad, but the term fascist more appropriately represents them than simply "terrorists". Pretty much its a fading topic, and at somepoint in time the Second World War would have faded away with the rest of Human history...

This is not to say public school and its students are bad. In fact, public schools are great, there are just certain topics ignored. Alongside, even though the students aren't aware of WW2, they still are very smart in common topics like mathematics, sciences, literature, etc...

I guess newer generations believe STEM studies are the new center of progression, so that is what schools are focused on teaching.

Kien, I've got to ask what grade level is US history taught at in your district? In Michigan, most freshmen take US history as freshmen and WWII is required teaching, and I spend about a month and a half teaching about it. Not attacking you, just curious.

In California, US History is usually taught in the Junior year of High School. Or at least it used to be.

Kien, I've got to ask what grade level is US history taught at in your district? In Michigan, most freshmen take US history as freshmen and WWII is required teaching, and I spend about a month and a half teaching about it. Not attacking you, just curious.

In California, US History is usually taught in the Junior year of High School. Or at least it used to be.

I was thinking it had to be something like that. I know there are a few districts around here that teach it when kids are sophomores. I just can't imagine a US history curriculum that would skip WWII, and any history teacher that would skip it. Sounds like educational malpractice to me.

My kids all graduated from high school within the past 10 years. The most recent graduating 2 1/2 years ago. Each of them had their US history class with its WWII portion. How do I know? Well each came to me at one point or another asking to borrow this book, or that movie DVD, that was on their assignment list for reading or viewing. And of course with that area being of interest to me as well, I would ask to see what they were learning in class at that time. I don’t think curriculum has changed that much in the past couple of years. Just more so of the “angle” of the subject matter, shall we say.

Frankly, I HATED American History. Call me a cheap date, but I am really interested in the various wars, but the stuff in between is pretty boring.

LOL! I love American History, but the pre 1900 stuff just never got me as interested as the more recent stuff. Which was funny in my US History class as my teacher was all into what he termed the “ age of sail” period. When we reached the 20th Century period, he was usually calling on me in class. Nowadays I have a healthy interest in most of American History, from the exploration and colonial times thru modern. As far as the stuff between the “official” declared listed wars being boring, you just need to know where to look.

Kien, I've got to ask what grade level is US history taught at in your district? In Michigan, most freshmen take US history as freshmen and WWII is required teaching, and I spend about a month and a half teaching about it. Not attacking you, just curious.

We covered US history in 8th grade but only the revolutionary/colonial era. We take US history again in junior year as part of the AP program, but more in depth than 8th grade. Some juniors I know said they haven’t covered world war 2 yet. Though in sophomore year I have AP world history, and we supposedly cover it (ww2) at the end of the year. But as part of ap world history it’s a brief coverage of the war and it’s motives rather than all the events.

also those asterisks in my previous post were supposed to say the n a z i s. Not sure why it was censored out. Spaced it out here so didn’t get censored.